The specialist conference on peer work in the Vienna Homeless Aid (WWH) took place for the fourth time, this time on April 11th in the Vienna City Hall.
Vienna (OTS) – At exPEERience 2024, peer graduates, i.e. formerly homeless or homeless people, exchanged ideas with managers and employees of homeless services, political representatives and interested parties about the practice, effectiveness and perspectives of peer work. City Councilor for Social Affairs Peter Hacker, FSW managing director Susanne Winkler, neunerhaus managing director Elisabeth Hammer and peer employee Caroline-Jesica Thomas opened the event in Vienna City Hall.
Peer work means “support from peers”. The basic principle behind it: People who have experienced challenging life situations themselves (such as homelessness, addiction or mental illness) support people in similar situations on an equal footing. Peer employees are an integral part of Vienna’s homeless assistance system. WWH peers are currently employed in around 40 facilities.
“By implementing Peers in homeless assistance, the City of Vienna is showing that we are taking new and innovative ways to ensure social security. The peer employees are a professional group that brings a lot of expertise to the Viennese homeless assistance facilities.”
said City Councilor Peter Hacker.
“With exPEERience, the FSW, together with neunerhaus, is once again sending a strong signal that people who were previously affected by homelessness and are now working as peer employees also experience appreciation. In a setting like the Vienna City Hall, with this conference we are creating space for networking and demonstrating the high level of professionalization in peer work in Vienna.”
said FSW Managing Director Susanne Winkler.
Via certificate to the peer
Since 2017, peer work has been developing further in close cooperation between FSW and neunerhaus as well as with FSW partner organizations and relevant Viennese actors. The neunerhaus Peer Campus has been offering the “Peers of Homeless Help” certificate course since 2019. This equips (formerly) homeless people with skills for the primary labor market and prepares them for employment in the WWH.
“Peer work is becoming mainstream: The sixth certificate course “Peers of Homeless Help” was completed at the neunerhaus Peer Campus in March. A total of around 100 peer employees have been trained so far – their expertise and experiential knowledge are valuable, they help to reduce prejudices and are particularly suited to the approach of ‘help at eye level’.”
said Elisabeth Hammer, managing director of neunerhaus.
Peer work works“Within just a few years, a completely new professional group has emerged with the Peers in Vienna. Peer employees enable WWH users to meet at eye level. For the Vienna Homeless Help Center, they are not only a professional part of our work, their experience from everyday working life is also essential in the further development of our offerings.”
says Markus Hollendohner, head of the Viennese Homeless Aid in the FSW.
About the Vienna Homeless Assistance from the Vienna Social Fund
In Vienna, people without shelter or housing receive the best possible support and care. The Vienna Homeless Aid, which is anchored in the FSW, works together with more than 30 partner organizations to offer advice and support as well as suitable places to stay, sleep and live. Since WWH’s strategic realignment was implemented, the Housing First approach has been pursued centrally. In 2022, 12,370 people took advantage of the wide range of offers offered by the Vienna Homeless Help Center. The city of Vienna spent around 120 million euros on this in 2022. In total, the FSW finances around 6,800 residential and care places throughout the year as part of its regular offering.
Questions & Contact:
Julia Fleischmann
Press spokesperson for the Vienna Social Fund
Tel.: + 43 676 8289 11511
E-Mail: presse@fsw.at